Referee Kerry Fitzgerald orders off Huw Richards after a punch-up against New Zealand in the 1987 World Cup semi-final

They had finished third at the World Cup the previous year, beating Australia in a play-off and, while they had been hammered by New Zealand in their semi-final, were very much on the rise.

A Triple Crown had been secured earlier that year – it should have been a Grand Slam but they let France off the hook in the mud of the old National Stadium to lose 10-9 – and facing the All Blacks was meant to be the next step in Wales’ development.

But they were annihilated in both Tests and it haunted Welsh rugby for years to come, putting a cloud over the nation that remained almost constant until union went open in August 1995.

Wales were swept aside by an All Black points avalanche with numerous players being injured and reputations badly damaged.

The fall-out prompted the departure of coach Tony Gray and six of Wales’ biggest stars, led by Jonathan Davies, to rugby league and others followed over the succeeding years.

Jonathan Davies' Triple Crown winning side of 1988 were battered in New Zealand

Young described it “as the tour of death” and Wales lost a generation of aces as a result.

It was 15 years before they went back to New Zealand and a record 55-3 defeat occurred in Gatland’s home city of Hamilton.

That one-sided encounter was to be remembered for two things: the bone-crunching tackle from the late Jerry Collins that knocked the stuffing out of Wales as he put Colin Charvis in hospital with concussion and the debut of a certain Dan Carter, who scored 20 points and went on to become a rugby legend.

Even the presence of Lee Byrne, Jamie Roerts, Leigh Halfpenny, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Adam, Alun Wyn and Ryan Jones failed to prevent a 42-9 thrashing in the first Test six years ago.

Wales were far more competitive in the second outing but still went down 29-10.

Suffice it to say, New Zealand has been far from a happy hunting ground.

June 14, 1987: Wayne Shelford of New Zealand prepares to take the ball into contact during the 1987 Rugby World Cup Semi-Final match between New Zealand and Wales at Ballymore Stadium

But in considering that, Gatland will not just have been thinking about results but longer term.

He would have been mindful of the lasting mental effects of undercooked young Welsh players being on the end of a rare old battering on Kiwi soil and concluded that some experiments require the correct conditions. Such conditions will not be found in New Zealand.

Gatland most likely figured that throwing the likes of young Ospreys fly-half Sam Davies to the wolves... in this case the All Blacks ... would represent a massive gamble that could backfire horribly.

And while the Wales boss is not risk-averse, sometimes it just isn’t worth it. Patience, in the harsh world of modern rugby, can sometimes be a real virtue.

Being put through the physical and mental mincer in New Zealand has irreparably damaged the prospects of a number of hugely promising Welsh players in the past, players who appeared to bear the psychological scars for the rest of their careers.

That’s why, for me, Gatland has called it right.

Let’s face it, it will be an extraordinary upset if Wales create history and turn over the All Blacks for the first time in New Zealand and notch up a first won over them anywhere for 63 years.

But with all the experience they can muster, they have at least a puncher’s chance.